This is from 2009, but still deserves a bit of (dishonorable) mentioning.

Seriously, what does knowing the fact that one is using Linux help? Is it going to suddenly make one immensely more productive? Is it going to make a B-movie play like a cinematic masterpiece? Is it even going to make a made-in-China piece of junk any more than what it says on its tin? No? Figures.

Anyone with experience purchasing a piece of software, on the other hand, knows exactly why there is a practical meaning to putting the name “Windows” on a desktop/laptop system. This is, of course, unless you are a Linux enthusiast who, for some wretched reason, believes that the repository is the next (il)logical step to the desktop evolution. In that case, your idea of packaging a piece of software is probably along the line of wrapping random binary files from a baffling loon-o-cratic process of selection in rpm/deb archives by someone who knows nothing beyond the rudimentary about them. But, hey, if you are crazy enough to think that there is nothing wrong with an OS built from parts supplied and maintained by unaffiliated third-parties, then the real world is probably too complicated for you to comprehend anyway.

• “And that you remember there are those out there who wouldn’t even have a computer if it wasn’t for Desktop Linux.”

No, Ken. The fact that “those out there” are now proud owners of your dumpster-dived PCs has absolute jack squat to do with the OS they run. In fact, if you so wish, you could even license Windows XP at around $10-15 a pop like some other charity organizations do. The only reason you are not doing that is that you don’t want to. There is just no loving excuse.

Funny how Ken takes “immense pride” in that video, and the rest of us look at it as some poor dumb loser being given a surprisingly polite bum’s rush by the IBM and HP guys. The look of wry amusement on their faces at the end is worth watching the whole thing. (I liked the pointless Perens interlude to, where the Savior of Austin drags him in as an Unimpeachable Authority.)

Good grief: I followed that link. Apparently you can sit on your arse (like I do), write £10,000 off to charity, and somebody else will go to all the hard work of shipping a 20 ft containing 250 (yes, that’s 250) fully-functioning computers, plus printers, plus networking stuff, to the needy.

Or you can devote your spare time to signing the local poor up to cable plans that they can’t possibly afford and provide a broken bit of sh1t on the end, like Helios does.